Crown cap feeding and positioning means



" June 30, 1942. v P. E. PEARSON cRowri CAP FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEANS F iled Nov. 9, 193 8 e Sheets-Sheet -1 June 0, 1942. I P. E. PEARSON 2,287,823

CROWN CAP FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEANS Filed Nov. 9, 1938 6 Shets-Sheet 2 7 wuem/ffo'o June 30, 1942.

P. E. PEARSON I CROWN CAP FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEANS Filed Nov. 9, 1938, 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 30, 1942- P. E. PEARSON 2,287,823

CROWN CAP FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEANS Filed Nov. 9, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 4- June 30, 1942. E, PEARSON 2,287,823

caowu CAP FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEANS Filed Nov. 9, 19:58 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 G3 @MMU v June 30," 1942.

P. E. PEARSON GROWN CAP FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEANS Filed Nov. 9, 1938 a sheets shet a .2 6 6 6 1 0a war Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE 1 CROWN CAP FEEDING AND POSITIONING V MEANS.

' Paul E. Pearson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 Application November 9, 1938, SerialNo. 239,726 11 Claims. (Cl. 113-414) V v The invention relates generally to article feeding and asserting or arranging mechanismsjand primarily seeks-to provide certain new and useful improvements in mechanism for feeding crowncaps andfor positioning them systematically so as to facilitate; the performing of certain opera- 3 l tio'nsthereon, such as center spotting.v

' In its more detailed ,nature, the invention resides inthe provision'of an apparatus'of the character stated including an 'upstandingdelivery chute portion in which the crown capsare. to be arranged in vertical columns all facing one'way,

a conveyor portion for receiving crown caps and conveying them to and delivering them into the chutefportion, and novel means in the chute por- Figurev 7 is a detail fragmentary section taken i on the lineL-l on Figure 2;; l

I sorting. and feeding chute, parts Figure fl is an enlarged face view ofthe as- 7 being broken away and-in section. i

Figure 9 is-a'central vertical cross-section of the chute structure shownin Figure 8. I Figure"10 is a detail section illustrating the mounting of the agitator crankdi'sk. i l

In the embodiment-of the'invention herein disclosed there is included a crown cap conveyor unit adapted to receive caps successively aligned tion forrejecting all improperly positioned crown caps.

Another object of theinvention is to provide novel means in the chute-portion for agitating and preventing bridging or jamming of the crown caps. v q

Another object of the invention is tov provide an apparatus of the character stated in which is embodied a crown cap. conveyor portion including opposed belt flights between whlch;mo re or less symmetrically arranged rows 0'! caps are' gripped so as to be conveyed along retained in the arrangement stated.

Another object of the invention is to provide novelmeans for yleldably supporting and bowing the opposed belt flight portions.

Withthe above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear; the nature of the invention will be more fully understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims,

and the severalviews illustrated in the accom- 'clined portions ofthecon'veyor belt assembly.

Figure 3' is an enlarged right side elevation of I in Figurel.

panying drawings; V i

In the drawings:

Figure '1 is a right sid e elevation illustrating the invention. t

Figure 1A is a planview of the parts shown Figure 2 is an enlarged right side elevation at the Junction of the horizontal and upwardly inthe upper end. portion of the conveyor belt assembly.

Figure ills a detail vertical cross-sectiontaken onthelinel-lonFigure i I Figure 5 is ,a detail horizontal section tak'enon the line 5-5 on Figure'2. Figure 6 is a'detail cross-section taken on the line 6-6 on Figure 3.

while being in .rows from an associated assembling machine and feed the caps in correct disposition into an associated cap spotting machine. This unit inc'ludes a conveyor belt assembly A and a sorting .orfeed chute B.

The conveyor belt assembly A comprises a horizontal portion- Shaving one end, hereinafter des-- ignated the receiving end, disposed under the the discharge chute of an associated assembling machine (not shown), and an inclined portion 6; extending upwardly vfrom the other end of the horizontal portion. See Figure 1.

The horizontal portion 5 includes a pair of side plates 1, 8 disposed in spaced relation and erally indicated at 9. a

. A shaft I0 is mounted transversely through the plates 1 8 adjacent the receiving end of the conveyor and has its ends projecting outwardly therefrom. One end of the shaft is secured by a collar ll mounted thereon, and the other end exsupported on any suitable framing suchas is gentends into an aperture in abracket portion l2 of the frame 9 spaced from the plate 8, and is maintained therein by a set screw l3.. A beltreceiving pulley I4 is rotatablymountedon the shaft intermediate the plates'and is secured to a pair of spaced bearing sleeves or bushings I5, IS. The bushinglli extends through the plate 1 8 to theposition of the bracket IL A worm gear .l'l having a hub 18 for engagement with any desired powerdrive, is secured to the bushing I6 I and is spaced from the plate 8 by a spacing element I9 secured to said plate. secured to the face ofthe hub l8. See Figure 4'.

A sprocket 20 is The inclined portion 6 includes a pair of plates ll, 22 having. their lower ends adjoining theends of the plates 1, 8, and the plates 2|; 22 are maintained in spaced parallel'relation by a plurality of spacing rods or'stay bolts 23. The junction" of the inclined plates with the horizontalrplates.

is reinforced by ,suitable reinforcing or gusset.- plates 24 secured at the outsides-thereokand the gusset platesare provided with outwardly V jectlon 25.

extending projections 25 having shaft receiving slots 26 therein. See Figures 2'and 6.

of the shaft projecting beyond theplate asindileys46. it. Another endless ,beltll lsled 1 around the pulley l4. under the pulley 556- and cated at the left in Figure 5. A compression,

spring 29 is mterposedbetweeneach member 22 and ,an adjacent follower 20, adapted-to be adjustably positioned by an adjusting screw ll extending through the uppermost end 'of each pro- A sprocket geari22 is secured to the projected end of the shaft 21 andis coplanar with the "sprocket 20 hereinbefore referred to. The end of the shaft 21 is fitted with an end collar 32. A belt-engaging pulley I4 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 21, intermediate the plates through the medium of sleeve bearings or bushings 35. See Figure 5.

The upper ends of the inclined plates 2|, 22

, are reinforced by gusset plates 36, 31 secured at the outsides thereof. A shaft 26 is journalled in the plates 2|, 22 near the upper ends thereof and has its ends projecting outwardly therefrom through the gusset plates 26, 31. An end collar 38 is secured to the right hand end of the shaft 38, and a spur gear 40 having a hub 4| of reduced diameter is keyed onto the other extending end of said shaft and is maintained in spaced relation to the surface of the rear gusset plate 21 by a projection formed on said plate. A sprocket gear 42 is mounted on the hub 4| of the spur gear and is secured thereto by a set screw 43 in the hub and a securing screw'44 threadably engaged with the spur gear. A belt-receiving pulley 45 is keyed onto the shaft 38 and is disposed intermediate the inclined plates 2|, 22. See Figure 6.

A shaft 46 is journalled in the plates 2|, 22 adjacent the upper ends thereof and has its ends projecting outwardly through the gusset plates 36, 31. The axis of the shaft 46 is disposed above and rearwardly of the axis of the shaft 36, and an end collar 41 is secured to the right hand end of the shaft 46. A spur gear 48 is keyed to the other end of the shaft 46 and is maintained in spaced relation to the surface of the gusset plate 31 by a projection formed thereon. The spur gear 46 has a diameter equal to and engages the spur gear 40. A belt-receiving pulley 49 is keyed to the shaft 46 and is disposed intermediate the inclined plates 2l, 22. See Figure 6.

A shaft 50 is joumalled in the plates 2|, 22 adjacent their junction with the horizontal plates 1, 8, and has its ends projecting outwardly from the gusset plate 24. The axis of the shaft 50 is disposed above and to the rear of the yieldably mounted shaft 21. The forward end of the shaft 50 extends through a projection 6| on the right hand gusset plate 24, and the shaft is provided with an annular collar 62 rigidly secured thereto, which is set into a counter bore inthe projection and is maintained therein against axial movement by a nut 53, threadably mounted on the end of the projection. At its right hand 7 end, the shaft 60 is providedwith a hand wheel 54. The other end of the shaft 50 extends through a projection on the other gusset 24 and has a sprocket gear 55 secured thereto as by a taper pin. The sprocket 66 and the sprocket 32 are disposed in coplanar relation. A belt-receiving pulley 66, equal in diameter to the pulley 49, is keyed on the shaft 50 and is disposed intermediate the plates 2|, 22. See Figures 2 and 5.

An endless belt 61 is looped around the wiits. associated belt". thence upwardly and'over pulley- 41', thence downwardly andunder the yieldably mounted tensioning p'ulley 34 and back to the pulley. 112.13 to be noted that the adjacent surfaces of the belts 51, 56 are maintained jinjclose relation to provide a positive advancement' of the caps being conveyed therebetween when the apparatus isin operation. The tension of the belt 58 can be regulated through appropriate adjustments of the spring pressed followers 30 in order to provide a tight.or loose gripping of the conveyed caps. The opposed flights of the belts 51, 56 are held in upwardlyrearwardly bowed relation by a bowed bed plate P secured at its upper end between the plates 2|, 22 as at S and supported intermediate its ends and at its-lower end as at X. The bed plate is thus mounted in a manner permitting it to yield or extend itself longitudinally accordingly as greater or lesser load pressure is applied thereto. The upper horizontal flight portion of the belt 68 may be supported upon a suitable bed plate 58a. See Figures 2 and 3.

All of the conveyor pulleys are positively driven from the worm gear l1 through the medium of an endless chain 59 which is led around the plate sprocket 20, thence under the sprocket 55 and up over the sprocket 42, thence downwardly under the tensioning sprocket 22 and back to the sprocket 20. The pulley 49 is positively driven from the pulley through the medium of the engaging spur gears 40, 48.

Proper alignment and additional tensioning of the driving chain 59 is attained through th medium of an adjustably mounted idler sprocket 60. The idler sprocket 80 is rotatably mounted on a collared shaft 6| secured to a block 62. The block 62 is provided with a slot 63 through which a clamping bolt 64 extends. See Figures 2 and 7.

Proper tensioning of the endless belt 61 is attained through the medium of an idler pulley 66 which is adjustably and yieldably mounted between the plates 2|, 22 on an axis near the upper ends thereof. The mounting .of the idler pulley '-the back plate by upper side plates 68, 68, and a lower front plate 69 joined to the upper front plate and spaced from the back plate by lower side plates 10, 10, thereby defining a cap-receiving chamber H. The feed chute B is positioned vertically with its upper end located directly beneath the discharge end of the conveyor assembly belts 51, 56. The front or facing plate 61 preferably is apertured as shown in Figures 8 and 9 so that crown caps in the chamber II can be seen through the apertures.

The lower end of the cap-receiving chamber H is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel ribs 12 disposed in vertical position to thereby form a plurality of vertical chutes 13 for receiving and aligning individual caps. An arcuate recess 14 is formed in the front face of the back plate 66 being defined by concentric upper and lower shoulders. A plate 15 having concentric arcuate upper and lower edges, is slidable back and forth in a lateral direction in the recess 14 and is retained therein by .arcuate retainer plates I6.

- taining the caps in the chutes.

a pivot pin 22,- to the upper enld of. amateur disposed link 83 fulcrumed at itsmid-point as at u to the rear face of the chute pl tens.) "rm: lower end of the link 83 is slot and pinconnected permit the positioning and the necessary move,

.ment of the pin.' The pivot pin 92 joining the links 8|, 83 is provided with a forwardlyextended end which passes through a clearance opening i 86 in the back plate and loosely fits in a bore in an agitator bar 81 located within the upper chute chamber H. See Figures 8 and 9. The agitator bar is moved back and forthand serves to keep the caps in'theupper chute portion in motion, and the oscillating plate 19 in conjunction with the leaf springs 11, by their lateral movement, keep the caps in motion farther down, and by this-means proper feeding of the caps into the individual vertical chutes 13 is assured.

Each chute I3- isprovided with a rejecting guide" secured between the adjacent ribs 12 and disposed in such a manner that caps moving through thechute with the concave portions extending forwardly, or to the left as viewed-in Figure 9, will be allowed to continue downwardly,

. but caps positioned with the concave portions extending rearwardly will engage at their rims with the rear cam surface 89 of the guide and be diverted through openings!!! in the back plate and into a rejection or discharge chute 9|. See the dot and dash line illustrations of falling caps in Figure 9. Such rejected caps are directed into any desired type of container or pick-up device,

any-suitable type, an example of which isdisclosed in my'copending application for U. S. Letters Patent, filed October 28, 1938, Serial Number 237,534.

I The lower end of. the chute B is secured to a mounting bracket which includes upstanding portions as and ahorizontal portion 94. The horizontal portion 94 supports a plurality of escapements for retaining the caps in and allowing the caps to be removed from the individual chutes I3. The escapernents include a plurality of pawls 95 having upper and lower cap-engaging dogs 96, 91, and all are mounted on a common shaft. The pawls are normally and yieldably maintained in a cap-retaining position by coil springs 98 anchored to the bracket portion 94. The lower dogs 91 normally are presented for yieldably recaps are withdrawn fromthe chutes in a manner such as is described in the copending patent application hereinbefore referred to, the lower oved r 9! 9floverlyin the el ina plane near the junction of the belts .51,' *58. The caps are then "gripped between the opp sing faces of the adjacent porations of th'ebelts 51, 59 and are elevated to the t'op of theconveyor assembly. At the top of the conveyor'assembiy they are discharged into the top of'the chute B,. or rather the chamber ll thereof, 'fallingbetween a top front guard plated I00 secured to, the upper front chute plate, and a top rear guard Hil secured to the upper rear chute plate. The distance between the guards I90, IOI

' is less than the thickness of double or nested charge or rejection chute 9|.

caps, so that if "doubles should occur they will be rejected. As the single caps fall into the upper chute portion they are constantly agitated by the agitator bar 81 to prevent jamming there. Continued downward'motion of the caps brings them into engagement with the agitator springs 11 and the moving plate 15 and they are consequently given a certain amount of translatory movement which prevents jamming and assures movement of the caps into the individual chutes 13.

The flow of caps into thechute, combined with the constant agitation of the caps within and filling the chute, serve to direct any"doubles setting on the spaced guards Hi0, IOI to one side or the other where they will drop into overflow chutes I02 provided for the purpose. The lower ends of the overflow chutes empty into the dis- While the invention has been described as particularly adaptable to use in feeding assembled crown caps from an assembling machine, in which the cork or other pads are inserted and aflixed in the metal caps, to a center spotting machine, in which center spots are aflixed to the As the bottom pads contained in the caps, it will be obvious that the apparatus herein disclosed can, with equal facility,.be employed in feeding crown caps devoid of pads to suitable mechanism for inserting and affixing said pads. Anexample of cen-- ter spotting machinery such as has been referred to just above is disclosed in my copending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial Number cap receiving chamber, means for receiving caps from the chamber and arranging ther n 'in longitudinal rows, an agitator vane freely swingable on a pivot pin in said chamber, and means for reciprocating the pin transversely of its axis.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a cap receiving and delivering chute including a cap receiving chamber, means for receiving caps from the chamber and arranging them in longitudinal rows, an oscillatable plate in said chamher for agitating caps entering said arranging from the chamber and arranging them in longi tudinal rows, an oscillatable plate in said chamber for agitating caps entering said arranging means, fiat springs attached to and movable with the plate and forming cap engaging side wall portions, an agitator vane freely swingable on a pivot pin in said chamber, and means for recip-' rocating the pin transversely of its axis.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a cap receiving and deliveringchute including a cap receiving chamber, means for receiving caps from the chamber and arranging them in longitudinal rows, an oscillatable plate in said chamher for agitating caps entering said arranging means, an agitator vane in said chamber, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, means connecting the plate with one end of said lever, means for mounting the vane on the other end of said lever, and means for rocking said lever to impart movement to said plate and vane.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a cap receiving and delivering chute including a cap receiving chamber, means for receiving caps from the chamber and arranging them in longitudinal rows, an oscillatable plate in said chamber for agitating caps entering said arranging means, flat springs attached to and movable with the plate and forming cap engaging side wall portions, an agitator vane in said chamber, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, means connecting the plate with one end of said lever, means for mounting the vane on the other end of said lever, and means for rocking said lever to impart movement to said plate and vane.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a cap receiving and delivering chute including a cap receiving chamber, means for receiving caps from-the chamber and arranging them in longitudinal rows, an oscillatable plate in said chamber for agitating caps entering said arranging means, an agitator vane, in said chamber, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, means connecting the plate with one end of said lever, means for mo ting the vane on the other end of said lever, de wall members attached to and movablewith said plate, and means for rocking said lever to impart movement to said plate and vane.

7. In crown cap conveying and arranging apparatus. a flat walled delivery chute structure for receiving caps and delivering them to a deflnite place by direct straight, line gravity drop, means, including an agitator, in said chute structure effective for arranging the caps in longitudinal rows, and means engageable with the caps while passing in rows through said arranging means for diverting improperly positioned caps from the straight line gravity drop path and rejecting them from the chute.-

8. In crown cap conveying and arranging apparatus, a flat walled delivery chute structureior receiving caps and delivering them to a definite to move into said row arranging means without- Jamming.-

9. In crown cap conveying and arranging apparatus, a fiat walled delivery chute structure for receiving capsand delivering them to a definite place, said chute structure including flat wall portions defininga stationary cap receiving chamber through which the caps fall by gravity without change of direction and which throughout the whole thereof is wide enough to receive a plurality of caps indiscriminately but so shallow as to'prevent receiving therein of superposed caps, and means for receiving the caps from the chamber and arranging them in' longitudinal rows, said flat wall portions including an oscillatable plate of a size greater in width and length than the combined diameters of a plurality oi! caps and disposed tor agitating caps entering said arranging means.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a generally flat cap receiving and delivering chute structure including a cap receiving chamber too narrow to receive caps in superposed face to face relation, means for directly receiving caps from the chamber and arranging them in longitudinal rows, a plate reciprocable transversely with relation to the path of movement of the caps into said row arranging means and dimensioned for defining a wall of said chamber against which a mass of caps in superposed vertical and also lateral edge to edge relation engages, and means for oscillating said plate to agitate said mass of caps back and forth transversely with respect to the rows to be arranged and at the position at which said caps are about to enter said row arranging means,

11. In apparatus of the character described, a generally flat cap receiving and deliverying chute structure including a cap receiving chamber too narrow to receive caps in superposed face to face relation, means for directly receiving caps from the chamber and arranging them in longitudinal rows, a plate reciprocable transversely with relation to the path of movement of the caps into said row arranging means and dimensioned for defining a wall of said chamber against which a mass of caps in superposed vertical and also lateral edge to edge relation engages, means for oscillating said plate to agitate said mass of caps back and forth transversely with respect to the rows to be arranged and at the position at which said caps are about to enter said row arranging means, and chamber defining side wall members attached to and movable with said plate.

PAUL E. PEARSON. 

